TTOS CANADIAN FLYER Official Publication of the TTOS Canadian Division Volume 4 Issue 4 April 2006 2005 / 2006 TTOS Canadian Division Executive President David Cook 604 931 4056 railroadnut@shaw.ca Vice-President Mark Horne 604 987-8817 mlhorne@shaw.ca Secretary Charles Reif 604 731 3674 creif@radiant.net Treasurer George Plant 604 946 0460 mgplant@intergate.ca Members At Large Ted Diakow 604 435 2807 John Warlimont 604 864 2175 jewarl@yahoo.ca Tom Modica 360 738 3842 thmas.modica@dhs.gov Gary Zabenskie 604 463 1006 MAL Island Ken Bowman 1 250 592 6194 President s Message I think the first item I am going to look after is the job of thanking my wife for the great food at last months meeting. When she mentioned to me a couple of weeks before the meeting that she intended to serve chicken wings maintaining that it didn t cost any more than salami, cheese and cracker; I admit I tried to convince her not to do it. I figured it was too much Neil Wilson with President work, but she says it takes even less time. David Cook at the March Meet. Thank you Gail, you did a real fine job. Jan and Luke, you missed a real nice meal. I must congratulate the membership on the great turnout last month, David we Cook, had a total President of sixty five members present. Congratulations, this seems to be a growing trend since the fall. 65 is a very good turn out for our group. Some very interesting items were for sale on the tables in March. Brian Asp and I both brought some American Flyer and Robin brought some Standard Gauge trains for sale. I think all in all there was a very good showing of most name brands. Jim Barrett received a special award from George Plant; check out the photo on page 5 and get someone to tell you the story. I would like every member of our division to read the question on page three of this newsletter. As a club we will be discussing this matter at the April meeting. I expect there will be quite a bit of input on this matter and I would appreciate it very much if everyone who wants to speak has an opportunity to do so without interruption. The membership contest has only two more months to run. Do you have anyone you would sponsor for membership in our Division? If you do, I would advise you to do it quickly. I would also like to remind everyone of the PNW TTOS Division meeting being held in Bellingham on the 7 th of May, that s the week after our meeting. I am sure that Tom Modica would like to see as many Canadian members as possible at that meeting, and I would like to see as many of you as possible at our next meeting on April 30 th. Regards, David Cook All meetings take place at Charles Rummel Community Centre 3630 Lozells Ave Burnaby, BC Doors Open 12:00 Meeting 13:00 Door Prizes, Sale Tables, Lots of Toys, & a Great Auction! April 30 May 28 June 25 September 24 October 29 November 26
Page 2 San Diego Model Railroad Museum Story & Photo by Gary Walmsley TTOS MEMBERS ON THE GO I thought that some members may be interested in some pictures and TTOS information about the San Diego Model Railroad Museum that my wife, Bev, and I visited last week while we were in San Diego. The museum is located in Balboa Park near the famous San Diego Zoo and is well worth a visit! It claims to be - and I believe it - the largest operating model railroad exhibit in North America. There are several "galleries" in the 24,000 square feet of operating layouts. the layouts include the "Cabrillo Southwestern "O" Scale exhibit (2000 square feet); the San Diego and Arizona Eastern "HO" Scale exhibit; the Southern Pacific - Santa Fe Tehachapi Pass "HO" Scale exhibit; the Pacific Desert Lines "N" Scale exhibit; the Toy Train Gallery with lots of 3-rail action. While we were there a large, visiting "S" Scale exhibit was in place with lots to offer "S" Scale model railroaders! There is also a Museum Gift shop offering reproduction posters and books and a reference library. One of the aspects of the Museum that impressed us was the Youth Program that they offer to any young person interested in model railroading. Program information can be obtained by contacting them at sdmrcyouthprog@aol.com or telephone 619-840-7635. Part of the instructional program for all elementary school children in San Diego schools is that ALL children in grade 4 are taken to the model railroad museum to see the trains, have an opportunity to work in the back room on some models and meet with the volunteers and talk about trains. There are 14,000 students that go through and while we were there some of the students were taking part in small groups. There is a teacher hired by the school district who is on site! Nice teaching assignment, Mark! Anyone planning a visit to southern California should take in the Museum if they haven't already done so - probably many of our members have already known about it! As an aside, we were greatly impressed with the full size rail service in San Diego County. We were staying in a small town, Carlsbad, about 30 miles north of San Diego. To travel in to San Diego by modern train (similar to our West Coast Express that operates from the one from Mission to downtown Vancouver) took about 50 minutes and only cost $2.25 (senior). Wonderful service times too. I'd like to think that we could have something like it on Vancouver Island too! Gary Walmsley CENTRAL HOBBIES EASTSIDE TRAINS, INC. Lionel Factory Authorized Sales & Service 217 Central Way Kirkland, WA 98033 (425) 828-4098 604 431 0771 "We're your one stop scale model train shop!" central-hobbies.com 2845 Grandview Hwy, Vancouver BC V5M 2E1 All Popular Makes & Gauges Buy, Sell - New or Used Fax (425) 803-0456 Toll Free (877) 857-7246 www.eastsidetrains.com ELECTRIC TRAINS KELLY S KABOOSE Specializing in Canadian O gauge by Williams, Weaver, and MTH Model Railways, RR Books, Videos, Old Toy Trains, Railroadiana, Antiques 250 377 8510 bandwkelly@shaw.ca Brian & Wendy Kelly 634 Victoria Street, Kamloops, BC V2C 2B4 TRESTLES N TRAINS John Constible Box 225 36042 Spyglass Abbotsford, BC V2S 4N9 604 852 4688 TrestlesNTrains@telus.net TTOS Canadian Flyer April 2006 page 2
TTOS Canadian Division LIONEL HAS SOLD K-LINE TO MTH ATLAS BUYS INDUSTRIAL RAIL... Not sure what advantage this has for Atlas O, LLC, has announced the purchase of all O scale assets of Industrial MTH in the 'O' gauge sector to enhance Rail, formerly owned by Hobbico. The rolling stock line which includes its product line, but it does give MTH an freight cars, a trolley, and handcar, will form the foundation of the newest entry into the 'S' gauge line. The quality line of Atlas O products O-27 Traditional Sized Line - which already isn't up to MTH's standards with the includes the high-end Master Line and mid-level, affordable Trainman line. freight stock being old Marx tooling. The agreement was signed, sealed and delivered during the last week of What it could mean though is MTH March, Mr. Haedrich said. Industrial Rail has been a very successful, coming out with the Big Boy in 'S' and rugged and reliable line for those who have carried it in the past. This probably the Allegheny. Was it worth value-priced line can be enjoyed by modelers aged eight to 80. Atlas MTH's while settling for this as part of O s purchase includes the transfer of the domain name, a settlement with 'Lionel'? I'm not sure. www.industrial.com, and the Industrial Rail trademark. (Before Hobbico, Negotiating this as part of a settlement Industrial Rail was owned by its creator, United Model Distributors.) Industrial Rail products are well built and offer value and good tells me that they admit guilt on the stolen plans and it will be interesting to quality in their price range, said Jim Weaver, vice-president of Atlas O. see what else they pass over to MTH.. The acquisition of this O-27 Traditional Sized Line expands our appeal perhaps the complete Flyer line? Last I to all aspects of O gauge model railroading. We will be reissuing six of the heard, Lionel valued the name at $10M, freight cars in all new paint schemes in fall 2006. Separately sold locomotives, track and accessories, as well as complete train sets will all be of course I may Have been mistaken, it may have included all the tooling. -- part of the O-27 Traditional Sized Line, Atlas O reported. check out atlaso.com T h e Q u e s t i o n An issue has been brought forward to the Club executive: The Island group has pointed out that the cost of attending the monthly club meetings has risen ( ie: the ferry). The group is asking for flexibility for use of the Island Layout Budget to assist with vehicle transportation cost only on the ferry. The executive recognizes that there are other members who travel significant distances in order to attend the monthly meetings. The executive needs the memberships input regarding this matter. The question is: What do you as a member think about the Island Group using Layout Budget funds to assist with the cost of the ferry? We will be discussing this matter at the April meeting, Please save all of you comments for this meeting. The executive will be reviewing this matter over the next four months prior to preparing next years budget. TTOS Canadian Flyer April page 3
T T O S C A N A D I A N D I V I S I O N B O X C A R F O R S A L E Page 4 Order Now! TTOS Canadian Division consistently sells out on their annual Club Car TTOS FIRST TIME OFFERED FOR SALE Atlas O is manufacturing a prototypical 40' woodside reefer in the Pacific Great Eastern Railway colours for the Canadian Division TTOS. This very limited production O gauge reefer is available in two numbers in both two and three rail. Production is scheduled for Spring 2006 with delivery in July 2006. Special pricing for Canadian Division members is $ 55.00 US or $ 70.00 CDN Price for non-canadian Division Members $65. US Shipping extra; if shipped. All cars will be shipped from Washington State. Contact: Mark Horne ml h o r n e @ s h a w. c a 6 0 4-9 8 7-8 8 1 7 Name Address City Prov ZIP Email Quantity Reefers 2 Rail 3 Rail TTOS Canadian Flyer April 2006 page 4
TTOS Canadian Division March Meeting Every picture tells a story. And these photos are all about having fun at the monthly club meet It seems more people are coming out each month. We re now averaging 60 70 people on the last Sunday of each month Ed Stephens brought his dog who s name is not Spot Nell came down with Bargin Bob now that the mountain highway is relatively clear from Burnaby to Kamloops. The gang all seemed to enjoy the lunch chicken wings & pizza with cake for dessert in celebration of the clubs 32nd anniversary. Jim Barrett was out playing war games as a Canadian Military reservist recently George Plant went down for a visit and captured this image of Jim s evil twin Patric See you all at the next meet, Sunday, April 30... TTOS Canadian Flyer April 2006 page 5
TTOS Canadian Division MEMBER PHOTOS Every one had a dog gone good time at the March meet- At left and below right: Larry Setterfield at his home in Penticton with his layout and command control Hope to see you at a meeting in Burnaby soon, Larry. Above: Neil Wilson & David Cook Nel Sarasin & Martha Pernice the backbone of the women s movement at TTOS meetings in BC that flower TTOS Canadian Flyer April 2006 page 6
IN THE NEWS... Choo Choo Charlie has railroad in his blood... By L.G. (Mac) McCaffrey Mar 22 2006 Special to the Comox Record reprinted with permission very day is Christmas Day for Charlie because he E gets to play with his trains every day. He has one of the largest collection of model trains in the Comox Valley. When you read one of Charlie Massey's business cards you will want to scratch your head while you decipher the obscure definition. It reads, "The Reverend J. Chas E.K. Massey. FerroequineologistExtraordinaire." It didn't sound religious. "Iron-horse-ologist. It's Latin," Charlie explains with a twinkle in his eye. The Reverend Charlie is better known as Charlie Choo Choo. Next to his wife Martha (and running a very close second), is Charlie's love of model trains. He has hundreds of them. His grandfather was a railroad mechanic and made Charlie's first engine when Charlie was still crawling around on the floor. It is still in Charlie's possession. It is a beautifully handcrafted, push-along toy steam locomotive. charlie massey surveys his domain (top). Above, he holds his first train engine, a gift from his grandfather in 1942. Charlie's grandfather was a railroad master mechanic and chief shop foreman. He built this engine by hand for his grandson in 1942 and sparked a His very first train set was also a gift from his father - a Lionel Berkshire locomotive with four cars. The 1949 price tag for this wonderful train was $49. It doesn't sound like too much today, but in 1949 it was about half a month's pay for most working people. This present was the seed of a lifelong hobby. As his collection grew it became a challenge. Life in the military consists of one move after another. Model railroad layouts are big and delicate. Moving them can be hazardous. Charlie solved the problem by building his layouts in portable sections that fit together for travelling. Over the years his collection kept on growing, as did his layouts. Once the Masseys settled in the Comox Valley it was time to get down to some very serious railroading The Massey home now contains three layouts. There is one in the garage, one running around at eye level in the recreation room, and one outside. The outdoor railroad is named the Marcoma Eastern Line and is over 60 feet long. The accurate reproduction of a trestle bridge was constructed using the engineering drawings for a real bridge. There are two more layouts at Charlie's Choo Choo's model railroad shop located in Lazo. Martha Massey s contribution to Charlie's railroads are her talents in landscaping and in the arts and crafts areas. Martha did all the landscaping for the outdoor railroad line. At this time the Massey rolling stock consists of approximately 40 locomotives, 50 to 60 passenger cars, 250 freight cars and 40 maintenance cars. All of them are 0 gauge, which are about three and half inches high and about a foot long on the average. Some of them are made of brass and are very heavy. Somewhere along the track Charlie became a certified Lionel Train technician.after all the years of model railroading, it is understandable that Charlie calls himself a Ferroequineologist Extraordinaire. Guys, remember back when you were a little boy? If you didn't have a toy train set you made a point of being friends with a boy that did. It is a safe bet that little Charlie Massey had lots of friends. As a matter of fact, he still does. story submitted by James Cook TTOS Canadian Flyer April 2006 page 7
E V E N T S May 7/ 2006 Pacific Northwest TTOS Meeting in Bellingham, WA Tom Modica is hoping for a big turnout of TTOS Canadian Division Members for this event. He sent the following instructions: I-5 to exit 253 turn right on Lakeway Dr & travel 4 blocks to traffic light the street bends to the right and becomes Holly St travel 8 blocks to Commercial St. turn right on Commercial Railroad museum is half block on right. Parking is free on Sundays on street & parkade My cell phone is 360-961-3067 meet is noon to 3 For more details you can call Tom Modica at home 360-738-3842. www.railroadnut.com TTOS CANDIAN FLYER The Official Publication of TTOS Canadian Division Published 10 times each year. To subscribe contact David G. Cook President Phone: 604 931 4056 Email: railroadnut@shaw.ca gailferrier@shaw.ca Printed in Canada by: KQX PRESS 604 940 2020 Check out the website for lots of member photos every month Easter Weekend 2006 April 14/15/16, 2006 Spring Meet in Vernon Vernon, BC Call Bargin Bob for details 250 578 8920 Train show in Merritt this coming June. Watch for details The Victoria Toy Show has become a tradition and regularly hosts over a hundred tables of collectible toys and dolls! There's lots to see and do! If you have toys to sell or get valued, if you're a rabid collector, or if you're just a kid of any age, this show is for you! Sunday May 28 2006 at the Mary Winspear Centre (formerly Sanscha Hall), 2243 Beacon Avenue, in Sidney B.C. 10:00 AM to 4 PM. Admission is $3.00 PACIFIC SCALE RAIL LTD Fine Trains in All Scales Gerry Landsman, Manager 604 524 8825 1 800 377 2860 Fax 604 524 6664 www.pacificscalerail.com 612 Carnarvon St., New Westminster, BC Canada V3M 1E5 604 461 7670 Fax 604 461 7672 ww.ontrackhobbies.com Dave Pylatuk ontrackhobbies@telus.net 3130 St. John s Street, Port Moody, BC V3H 2C7 TTOS Canadian Flyer April 2006 page 8